Stefanos Tsitsipas: The big mistake he made in the 2021 final against Djokovic

Stefanos Tsitsipas and Novak Djokovic
Stefanos Tsitsipas recently appeared on Caroline Garcia’s “Tennis Insider Club” podcast and discussed the 2021 final against Novak Djokovic at Roland Garros. Djokovic managed to turn the match around after Tsitsipas had taken a 2-0 set lead, only needing one more set to win the title.

Tsitsipas’ Statements

“I knew he had much more experience than me in finals, but I had nothing to lose. My only concern going into that final was not wanting to fall behind on the score. And I went out there and was leading 2-0 in sets! Then the decline started,” Tsitsipas said.

He revealed that his mistake in this match was relying on a superstition he had followed throughout the tournament: not eating during matches. This proved to be a costly mistake and the only thing he regrets.

“I made a big mistake in that final that I regret: I didn’t eat. I learned from that final that superstitions aren’t always beneficial. I’m sure other players also don’t eat during matches, just like I did, but in that final, it cost me dearly. My energy was gradually depleting while I was still ahead. I kept telling myself it was okay, that I would continue taking my electrolytes and water and that it would be enough, playing on an empty stomach. In the 4th set, I thought I needed to be more open-minded and change things, but it was too late. The difference was in our energy levels, as he was playing with all his heart and effort, whereas I kept declining as the match progressed.”

He mentioned that he has experienced what’s known as a “choke” in the past, where you lose your composure during a match and can’t close it out despite being ahead. However, that did not happen to him that day.

“It’s the only thing I regret about that final. There isn’t anything else I could have done better. I really tried my best, I didn’t panic, and I didn’t choke. People might think I choked, that I lost it when I was ahead 2-0 in sets, but that didn’t happen. I know how it feels when that happens, and it certainly didn’t happen in this match.”

Nonetheless, Tsitsipas admitted that even so, the victory deservedly went to Novak Djokovic, as he was the better-prepared player for a five-set battle.

“Even though I felt it wasn’t fair, it was fair. Because, ultimately, it’s a war, and my opponent was better prepared than me for that war.”